本文旨在透過開發史的研究，了解林圮埔（竹山）清代台灣的重要性。林圮埔因為地處濁水溪南岸，為水沙連內山諸社群出入總路，也成為漢人進入水沙連內山，甚至到東部台灣的孔道。因此，林圮埔（竹山）以其平原與山地交界，南與北過渡，漢人與原住民和戰的交會點上，在有清一代顯得地位特別重要。其重要性自開山撫番二事最為突出。來台漢人自始即進行開山撫番二事，牡丹社事件後更成為國家治台政策。就在開山撫番成為清政府國家政策之時，林圮埔地位臻於最高點，成為雲林縣縣治所在，成為「前山第一城」。

The purpose of this essay is to explore the importance of Lin-Chii-Puu (Jwu-Shan) in Taiwan of Ching Dynasty through the research of reclaim-history. Lin-Chii-Puu (Jwu-Shan), due to it locating on the south bank of Jwo-Shoei Stream, is the traffic hub of the primary accesses that communicate the Han people’s settlements and several aboriginal tribes in the interior Shoei-Sha-Lian Mountain area. Moreover, these accesses can further connect to the other side of the mountain, east part of Taiwan. Hence, the peerless importance of Lin-Chii-Puu (Jwu-Shan), especially in the entire Ching Dynasty is manifested by its characteristics of the transitional area that is a buffer of north and south part of Taiwan, that adjoins the plain and mountain area, and that is a crucial point of the peaceful or warlike relationship between the Han people and the aborigines. The most prominent factors of its importance are revealed in the policies that attribute to reclaim the mountain area and to civilize the aborigines. Although the Han people dedicated to reclaim the mountain area and to civilize the aborigines from their first arrival in Taiwan, after the Muu-Dan-Sheh Incident, these two endeavors further became the significant policies of the government. Meanwhile, as the Ching government declared these two advocacies as its predominant policies of Taiwan, the status of Lin-Chii-Puu (Jwu-Shan) reached its culmination and it became the county town of Yun-Lin County; as a result, Lin-Chii-Puu (Jwu-Shan) was marked as--The Primary Polis of the Frontier.